What a long, strange trip Rudin will have

When she was the wife of Las Vegas real estate millionaire Ron Rudin, Margaret Rudin undoubtedly was accustomed to the finer things in life, like first-class transportation and plush living accommodations.

As a captured fugitive and accused murderer, her journey back to Las Vegas may be a long and bumpy one via a private prisoner transport van that will make numerous stops in small towns to pick up and drop off other prisoners. Along the way she will spend several nights in crowded antiquated jails.

Metro Police appear to be leaning toward private ground travel instead of a commercial flight to transport Rudin from Framingham, Mass., where she is in a women's correctional center fighting extradition following her arrest last Friday in Revere, Mass.

Accused of killing her husband in 1996 and spending more than 2 1/2 years on the run, Rudin, 56, was arraigned Monday and is being held without bail while Las Vegas authorities prepare a governor's warrant to bring her back. That process could take at least two weeks to a month, authorities said.

A trip back to Las Vegas via ground transport could be an additional two-week ride or longer in shackles and other non-luxurious surroundings.

"There is nothing we can gain by flying two detectives there to pick her up and fly her back at taxpayer expense," Metro Homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen said. "Although private transport is still an expense to taxpayers, it would cost a lot less."

Petersen said he generally has detectives fly to pick up a prisoner when that person has voluntarily surrendered and may be willing to tell of criminal exploits that can be used in court. Rudin, however, has a lawyer and has shown no interest in talking to police, Petersen said.

"I may still fly out two detectives to pick her up -- that decision just hasn't been made," Petersen said. "We have to determine if it is worth it to tie up two detectives for three days."

Rudin scheduled to go before the court in Massachusetts on Nov. 24.

Ron Rudin's bullet-riddled, burned, decomposing body was found in January 1995 near Nelson's Landing at Lake Mojave. He had disappeared on Dec. 18, 1994.

Margaret Rudin disappeared shortly after the Clark County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging her with her husband's death on April 18, 1997.

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